Facing the World
by OnePirateWolf96
Summary: Part 3 of series Flaming Heart. Raihan and Kabu get themselves together, eventually, and are now ready to face the world together! This includes facing the press and uncovering a bit of Kabu's past.


**So, this is a direct sequel to The Morning After. I was going to get this done earlier, but I had two essays and a bunch of stuff to do, so it got delayed. I actually have one more essay to go, due next week. But I wrote this instead of that.**

**And, wow, it turned out way longer than I thought it would! For once, I tried to not rush things once I noticed it was getting a bit long, and this is the end result. **

**Enjoy! And please let me know what you think!**

Facing the world

Raihan doesn't think he's ever felt more comfortable than right now. He's had a good breakfast, good coffee, and is currently laying down on his couch with Kabu resting on top of him.

Raihan's hands are both on Kabu's body, one around his waist as if to keep him there and the other on his hip. He can't stop himself from touching every bit of exposed skin he can reach without moving. Soft and muscular, with the occasional scar here and there. Kabu's head is nestled against Raihan's neck, and if Raihan bends his head down a bit, he gets a face-full of grey-and-silver hair.

Kabu's hand is lightly stroking his hair, sometimes going up to play with the longer hair on the top of his head and occasionally going down to caress his neck. Raihan is drowsing, feeling warm and content. _Like a Persian curled up in the sun_, he thinks.

It's like being wrapped in a warm, heavy blanket. Except that blanket is his... boyfriend? Partner? Lover? They haven't really done a whole lot of talking about this whole thing. _Eh_, Raihan thinks, squeezing Kabu just a little harder, nuzzling his face into the soft, grey hair. Presses an affectionate kiss there, just because he can. _We can figure it out later_.

Their Pokémon are mostly lazing around the living room, while a few have gone to the second bedroom instead, for some peace and quiet, he supposes. The leftovers from breakfast are still on the table, and the Pokémon seem to have helped themselves to some treats. They'll have to clean that away once they get up. He just hopes they didn't get into the coffee.

They've been laying here for about an hour. At least that's what Raihan thinks. He hasn't as much as turned his head, let alone checked the time. But the sun is now shining in his eyes, so it must be around noon. They did get up pretty late, after all. Even by Raihan's standards. Then again, it had been almost four in the morning before they even went to sleep.

_Wonder what's been going on_, Raihan thinks, and takes one hand off Kabu in order to get his Rotom phone. It's still on silent, as he left it. He opens it and... wow. He knew the picture and confirmation of his and Kabu's relationship would go big, but... His feed has all but exploded with all sorts of comments, questions, and everything else. He thinks most of them seem to be pretty supportive, some are not, and some are just downright nasty. There are also some requests for interviews from various newspapers, news channels and tabloids.

They're going to get mobbed the moment they leave the apartment. Raihan briefly considers just staying in until the worst blows over but knows there would be no chance of that working. Kabu had been right earlier, they'd have to satisfy the media, or the media would make up their own stories and theories. It's better they have the truth. The media can get vicious if they don't get what they want. Normally, he has no problems being all over the news and social media, but this somehow feels different. He's never gone this public with a relationship before and wants to do it right.

"How bad is it?" Kabu suddenly asks. When Raihan looks down, he notices Kabu is now looking up at him curiously. His arms are crossed over Raihan's chest and he's resting his head on them.

He looks absolutely adorable, with the messed-up hair and the casual clothes and the way he looks at him and Raihan can't stop himself from leaning down for a kiss. And another. He could get addicted to this. Maybe just one more. And one after that. And- he's interrupted by Kabu pressing a hand against his mouth.

"Raihan," Kabu says with that patient, no-nonsense tone. "The feed." Raihan just manages to resist the impulse to lick the hand on his mouth. Instead, he settles for giving Kabu a pointy look until he removes it.

"Nah," he says as he scrolls through the comments. "Nothing too bad." He moves the phone so Kabu can see the screen as well. "Most of them seem pretty cool with it. A few assholes, but that's to be expected, I suppose."

He scrolls down to a comment that says: '**I don't have anything against gay people, but I don't want pictures of it somewhere my children could see it, I don't want them to become gay or something**.' Raihan just laughs at this one.

"Most of those don't even make any sense," he points out to Kabu. "No point in paying any attention to them." The other commenters seem to be handling it anyhow, chewing out those leaving negative comments. It gives him a nice feeling, knowing so many people are on their side and support them.

"True," Kabu agrees with him, nodding along. He's squinting at the screen as if having trouble seeing the text. It makes Raihan wonder if Kabu normally wears glasses when reading. That makes him imagine Kabu wearing glasses... _I bet he'd look really sexy in them_, Raihan thinks. Then immediately puts those thoughts aside because now is not the time for that!

They lie there for another few minutes before Kabu sighs and pushes himself upright. Raihan quickly tosses his legs up on Kabu's lap, to keep him from getting of the couch completely.

"We should be getting up already," he mutters, seemingly more to himself than Raihan.

"Why? We still have time off. We don't have anything we have to do." That earned him an exasperated look. And a swat on his foot, so he'd let Kabu up.

"We don't have work to do," Kabu tells him. "But it's well past noon, and we need to get something to eat, eventually. There's nothing in your fridge except some milk and cheese." Right. True enough. They couldn't just stay in and starve, exactly. And Kabu had promised to teach him to cook, hadn't he?

"And," Kabu continued, "I need a change of clothes." The only clothes he has right now are what he was wearing at the New Year's party last night, as well as his coat. Raihan can understand why Kabu would want some other clothes, but secretly prefers it when Kabu wears _his_ clothes, especially when they're just at his apartment. Or just his shirt. And nothing else. Preferably that. But not right now. Another time. Later. Maybe later today. If all goes well.

"Right," he eventually agrees with Kabu and gets up himself so they're both sitting on the couch now. "Suppose we should get going then."

"No, we should clean up first," Kabu corrects him, already at the table, picking up cups and plates.

It only takes them a few minutes to get everything put away, after which they get ready to head out. Pants, shirts, coats. Kabu also wraps a scarf around his neck, taking his time to make sure it covers all the bitemarks Raihan left on him last night, all while giving him an exasperated glare. Raihan takes it with a smile, not regretting anything. Finally, Kabu scoops up his Sizzlipede and let them crawl inside his coat before they leave. Raihan decides to leave his Pokémon at home, telling them to behave and take it easy and that they'll be back later.

It's a chilly day in Hammerlocke, and Raihan is almost jealous of Kabu's warm coat. Made even warmer with the Pokémon additions. Makes him almost consider getting himself a Sizzlipede or two. It has snowed during the night, so everything is covered by a thin layer of white snow, crunching under their boots as they walk in silence. Kabu is walking like a normal person, instead of lightly jogging like he usually does. It's probably the first time Raihan has ever seen him _walk_ outside.

He looks down at Kabu's hand briefly, before grabbing it in his own. He half expects the man to pull his hand away. Kabu just gives him an amused look and a small smile, before curling his own fingers around Raihan's longer ones. It gives Raihan a strange, giddy feeling. A flutter in his stomach. He's just so happy right now, he grins back at Kabu and can't seem to stop until his cheeks start hurting. They're not hiding anything. Not that there would be any point in trying. Pretty much all of Galar must know about them at this point. So he can just happily walk down the street, holding Kabu's hand, and feeling like the luckiest person in the world.

Surprisingly enough, no one seems to really pay any attention to them as they stroll through the city. There are some people wandering about. On a walk with their Pokémon or with each other. Children are playing in the snow while the adults are shuffling snow. It's all rather peaceful, more so than Hammerlocke normally is. When he looks at Kabu he notices his cheeks are slightly flushed from the cold. It makes his heart do funny things in his chest. _I'll never get over how hot he is_, Raihan thinks.

They make it a whole two blocks before encountering the press. Raihan knew since they stepped out the front door, they would run into them eventually. They're swarming all around Hammerlocke. There's about five of them, if Raihan counts right. There are some fans around as well. It seems the press was interviewing them before he and Kabu show up.

They are noticed immediately. With Raihan's height, it's almost impossible to blend in anywhere, especially in his own city. They are surrounded within only moments. He manages to make out some familiar reporters from Galar Daily, Hammerlocke's Hottest and Trainer's Eye. He puts on his best public smile and tries his best to look relaxed and casual, even though his heart threatens to beat out of his chest with nervousness. He only hopes he's not sweating or otherwise visibly nervous.

He gives a small wave and a cheery "Hello there!" before they start asking any questions. Kabu simply straightens up a bit and gives them a neutral look, approaching this with the same seriousness as everything else.

"You made a statement earlier today that the two of you have just recently started a relationship," one of the reporters start, as they all shove their mics toward Raihan and Kabu. "Do you have anything you would like to add to that?" _Bold little thing, aren't you?_ Raihan thinks. _Going straight for the questions everyone wants answers to_. The reporter in question is a woman, maybe a few years younger than Raihan and just barely taller than Kabu. He'll surely remember her at least, with her very noticeable bright pink hair. A quick glance at her nametag shows she's from the Nova Times and that her name is Katie.

"Well," Raihan starts, kind of wishing he and Kabu had talked a bit more about what they would say about this whole thing. They haven't really talked amongst themselves yet! He's all too aware of the Rotom phones and cameras pointed at them, taking pictures, voice-recordings and videos. He gives them all a confident-looking grin, before answering the question. "We've known each other as friends for a while, and this is really just a step in a new direction. There's probably going to be some changes in our lives, but I'm sure everything will work out."

"As you said," Kabu adds, "This relationship is very new, so there are still things for us to talk about. Privately." He adds, when one of the other reporters start to open his mouth. Amazingly, they all seem to accept this and don't push further, instead moving on to other questions.

"Is this relationship going to affect your positions as gym leaders in any way?" Katie again. She sure has no problems asking just about whatever. Just the kind of attitude reporters are supposed to have, for better or worse.

"Nah," Raihan answers. "We know how to keep our personal lives out of our work." Kabu nods beside him in agreement.

"So, there won't be any problems from the league either, then?" Another reporter asks. Raihan recognizes him as one from Galar Daily.

"No," Kabu answers this time. "There are no rules that would prevent gym leaders from being in a relationship with each other."

"Besides," Raihan feels the need to add, "it's almost easier to date another gym leader, in some ways. Mainly because of our schedules. I once had a girlfriend who demanded I quit being a gym leader, so I could spend more time with her." Kabu gives him a curious look, but he just shrugs, not really wanting to talk about it anymore, at least right now.

"You have a considerable age difference between the two of you. Is that going to cause any problems?" Raihan feels Kabu stiffen slightly at his side, obviously not liking the question any more than he did. _None of your business_, he wants to tell the man, but manages to stop himself. The reporter is from Hammerlocke's Hottest, and has almost consistently asked the worst questions, no matter what. _Jerk_.

"Hopefully not," Raihan answers truthfully, trying to keep the slight annoyance out of his voice. He's fairly sure he succeeds. "But if it does, I'm sure we can handle it when we get to it."

The reporter nods, apparently satisfied with Raihan's answer. Then he turns to Kabu and aims the follow-up question at him.

"Mr. Kabu, your last known relationship had quite the age gap as well. Did this affect your choosing Raihan as your new partner?"

This makes Raihan look at Kabu. He hadn't known about that. It's a strange feeling, but then again, he's never really thought about Kabu's past relationships at all. It would be pretty dumb of him to assume Kabu hasn't been with anyone before. Raihan himself has been in relationships before, so why not Kabu? The whole thing gives him a strange feeling and he decides this is probably one of those things they need to talk about later. He makes a mental note about it for later.

"No," Kabu answers without hesitation. "I care for Raihan very much, and my past relationship has nothing to do with it." And doesn't that give Raihan just about the best feeling. He has to restrain himself from just grabbing Kabu into a hug and settles for squeezing his hand instead. In return he gets a squeeze back, accompanied by a small, secretive smile.

It only now occurs to him that he's been holding Kabu's hand all this time.

But the reporters aren't done yet, and the questions continue in this manner for a good while, ranging from totally normal things like "How do your Pokémon get along?" to some rather crass things like "What's Kabu like in bed?" which Raihan, startled at the question, just blurts out a "No comment!" at.

By the time they are done with the million questions Raihan feels like he's just about ready to starve. He's almost half-convinced the reporters only stopped the questions because they had heard his stomach rumble and decided to let them go out of pity. Of course, first they had to do pictures. And fans. And pictures with fans. And autographs. And some more questions.

This is the part he actually likes, being around people, the centre of attention. A few want pictures of him and Kabu together, mainly the press, and most fans want to take a picture with him or a picture with Kabu. Autographs are signed, words exchanged, and advice given to young trainers.

The crowd is just starting to thin out when a young girl tugs on Raihan's sleeve. She's clutching his league card in her hands, Kabu's one sticking out of her pocket. He squats down to be on her eyelevel, thinking she probably wants an autograph and maybe a word or two. He's right about the autograph, and partially right about wanting a word.

"Are you and mister Kabu going to get married?" She asks him, staring up at him with impossibly huge eyes.

"Well..." He's not entirely sure how to answer that one.

"My mum says that when two people love each other they get married," the girl continues, unphased by Raihan's lack of response. "And you love mister Kabu, right? So are you getting married?"

Raihan looks over at Kabu, who's crouching next to some children, chatting with them and letting them pet one of his Sizzlipede that's crawled out of his sleeve. He's smiling gently at them, looking absolutely gorgeous in the afternoon sun. At this moment Raihan feels he really wouldn't mind marrying the man and spending the rest of their lives together. But now he's getting ahead of himself.

"I don't know," he tells the girl. "Maybe one day." She seems satisfied with his answer, thanks him for the autograph and runs of to her parents, happily waving to him. He waves back, smiling slightly, mind somewhere else.

Marriage, huh?

It takes a few moments for him to notice the rest of the crowd is gone and Kabu is standing at his side, looking up at him curiously. The Sizzlipede has disappeared back into Kabu's coat. Raihan wastes no time gathering the man in his arms in a hug, nuzzling his hair and feeling ridiculously happy. Kabu's arms come to rest on his waist as he relaxes against Raihan with a slight huff.

"Something on your mind?" Kabu asks, question muffled by Raihan's hoodie.

"That girl just now," Raihan gestures to the direction she ran, "asked if we were going to get married." He feels Kabu stiffen against him before pulling away. There's a frown on his face, but he doesn't seem angry or upset. Just...strange. Raihan doesn't know what to make of it.

"I think it's a bit soon to be thinking about that," is the answer he gets.

"Yeah," Raihan answers, carefully pulling Kabu back against him. "I know." They stand there for a few moments, before Kabu once again squirms out of Raihan's grip.

"Let's go. We still have things to do today." He takes Raihan's hand again, and they're once again walking the streets of Hammerlocke. Sometimes people recognize them and some of them ask for an autograph or a picture, but they're left surprisingly alone, mostly.

"How long do you think the hype will last?" Raihan asks Kabu, who's stopped to look at some store window. Since he isn't letting go of the man's hand, that means he's stopping too. What is Kabu even looking at anyway? A bookstore, huh? Yeah, he can imagine Kabu as the type of person who prefers books over reading on a Rotom phone or something.

"Maybe a week or two," he answers absentmindedly, before turning to actually face Raihan, a small, smug smile on his face. "Or until they find out about Leon and Sonia."

"Yeah, can't wait to see how that turns out." Raihan smiles at the thought. Leon might not be the champion anymore, but the press still loves him. Especially after he announced his plans about what he called the Battle Tower.

They have been walking maybe five minutes when Kabu pulls him into a clothing store. Right, he mentioned needing to get a change of clothes earlier, didn't he? Raihan opts to wait on a chair he finds, while Kabu wanders around the store picking out a set of clothes. Nothing special, just something more comfortable than the finer clothes he wore at the party.

He slumps down in the chair, trying to get a bit more comfortable while he fishes his Rotom phone from his pocket and checks out what's happening on the social media. A lot of comments and pictures from the interview. Pictures of him and Kabu together. Turns out he isn't the only person who didn't know about Kabu's previous relationship because lots of people seem to be wondering about that.

There's also a picture of Kabu chatting with the children, Sizzlipede on his arm, gently smiling at them. He hits 'Like' on that one. It's a good picture.

After a few minutes Kabu has picked out some clothes, paid for and changed into them. He's chosen a black shirt (long sleeves of course), some long, comfy-looking pants and solid jogging shoes. And doesn't he look really good in them? More... casual, perhaps. Relaxed. Like he actually has time off from work and is enjoying it. He's trying really hard to not stare at Kabu's arse, but not really succeeding too well.

Raihan quickly clicks open the camera and snaps a picture, earning a slightly exasperated glare. He just gives the man a bright grin, no regrets whatsoever.

"You look good in that. How could I not?" Kabu just sighs at the compliment.

"Just don't post it anywhere," is all he says, pulling on his coat.

"Don' worry, I'll keep it all to myself," Raihan promises. This seems to be enough for Kabu, who lets Raihan take his hand again, and accepts a brief kiss before they carry on.

"Next up, food." Raihan's stomach growls loudly in agreement. Kabu laughs quietly and pulls him along to a curry restaurant nearby.

"Let's get some food, then."

The restaurant is a little, cosy place. Dark wood panelling, and the lighting not making it too bright, but still enough to see properly. It's one of Raihan's more favourite restaurants in Hammerlocke, and the best curry restaurant for sure. Pokémon friendly, too. He wonders for a moment if Kabu somehow knew it, or if it was just luck. It's rather quiet, the only customers being one other couple with a Yamper sitting next to them and a small group of teenagers with a Rookidee and two Zigzagoon, talking quietly amongst themselves.

They choose a quiet little corner, away from the other people, mostly for the privacy. Sit down side by side and make themselves comfortable. Kabu removes his coat, setting it on the back of his seat. The Sizzlipede crawl out, curious about the new surroundings.

A waitress brings some water to their table and takes their orders, once they have looked through the menus. They also end up doing the whole picture and autograph thing with her before she actually takes the orders.

Raihan orders a large sweet toast curry, while Kabu settles for a standard spicy mushroom medley curry. While waiting for their food, they fall back into talking about familiar topics, like Pokémon, gym leader duties, hobbies, whatever they come up with pretty much. There's the one topic from the interview that's been nagging at Raihan, but he's not sure if he should bring it up. Or how to bring it up, for that matter. Kabu, being the perspective person he is, notices immediately.

"Something on your mind, Raihan?" he asks gently. Open and curious, in a way most people don't get to see him. He tries to figure out the best way to word it.

"Well... back at the interview..." he starts. Keeps going at Kabu's encouraging nod. "That one reporter mentioned your last relationship."

"What about it?" Kabu asks. Brow raised in curiosity, but no judgment. No sign he's upset about it.

"I just... never heard about that before," Raihan tries to explain.

There's a small break in their conversation as the waitress brings their food to the table. They thank her, she leaves. Raihan isn't sure if he's annoyed or grateful for the interruption. He goes with grateful, because now he finally has food. He digs into the curry with gusto, waiting for Kabu's answer to his unasked question. Can't help groaning at the taste. Yeah, this place really has the best curry in Hammerlocke. Maybe the best in all of Galar.

"I'm not surprised," Kabu answers, taking small bites from his curry. "News in Hoenn aren't really broadcast in Galar." He chews thoughtfully for a moment before continuing. "Besides, that was over twenty years ago."

"Oh." Raihan feels like an idiot. He hadn't even thought it could be from so long ago. He had thought it might not have been that long ago. Maybe ten years at most. And that he'd somehow missed it. He hadn't. Not really. He'd just assumed, when the reporter mentioned an age difference...

"Sorry. I wasn't thinking." He quickly shoves more food into his mouth, so he won't say something stupid. Like asking for details, or something. He's almost eaten all of his curry already.

"But you are curious," Kabu notes. He still has half of his plate left. The Sizzlipede have crawled up on the table and he's feeding them bits of his curry. "Don't apologize, it's natural." At least he's not upset. Raihan knows talking about exes can be tough. Kabu looks very thoughtful as he takes a few more bites of his curry. There's a small crease between his eyebrows that means he's in deep thoughts. Better not to disturb him, Raihan decides.

No matter how much he wants to reach over and kiss him and let him know he doesn't want to pressure him or anything. Soon enough, Kabu talks.

"It was my first serious relationship." He smiles slightly as he talks, as if remembering happy times. "He was seventeen years older than me. When we go together, I was twenty-one, he was thirty-eight. We were together for six years and broke up when I moved to Galar to become a gym leader, but we remained friends. We keep in touch every now and then."

He looks at Raihan like he's not sure how he'll react. He doesn't show it on his face, but his eyes and stiff body language tell a different story. He's nervous. Maybe even worried. Is he worried Raihan will be upset about this information? That he's still in touch with the ex he was together with for years. Does he think Raihan will be jealous?

Raihan isn't exactly sure how he feels, but he knows for certain he's not upset. After all, he's with Raihan now, isn't he? That's the important part. And that he feels comfortable enough to tell him this. Besides, Raihan used to go out with Piers some time ago, and they're still friends. Nothing strange there, really. Just because a relationship doesn't last doesn't mean you can't be friends still. He mentions as much to Kabu, who visibly relaxes and smiles at him.

"Did you really date a woman really demand you quit as a gym leader?" Kabu asks, apparently just as curious about Raihan's past as Raihan is of his.

"Yeah, unfortunately." It's really not something he remembers fondly, or something he likes to think about at all, but he figures Kabu deserves an honest answer. After what he just told Raihan. He picks a bit at what's left of his food before continuing.

"I'm pretty sure she only started dating me because of the fame, but it quickly became too much. She constantly accused me of cheating on her or spending too much time with other people and then demanded I quit, so I would only spend time with her." They had argued about it a lot. And loudly. He's still amazed that didn't make the news at any point. "We weren't together for long."

"No wonder," Kabu says. "I can't imagine you giving up you position and everything else like that, just for one person."

"Yeah," Raihan grins. "I could say the same about you." He knows they're both very dedicated to their gym leader positions and can't really see either of them just quitting. He knows they won't have too much free time for each other because of their jobs, but he's confident they'll manage. It'll just be something they need to work with when dating each other. The sacrifices of being a gym leader.

"Hello there, dear!" comes a very familiar voice from right behind them. Raihan turns around to confirm and it is, indeed, his mother. She's looking at them (or rather, him) with her arms crossed. Right beside her is her pet Growlithe, (her only Pokémon) happily wagging its tail when it sees Raihan. She brings it just about everywhere, because it has separation anxiety and can't be left alone for any amount of time.

Her dark grey hair is in a long braid going down her back and she's wearing her comfortable sweater and long skirt. Judging by the bag on her arm, she's just been out shopping. Probably saw them though the restaurant's window or something and now she's here to embarrass him in front of Kabu. Did she see that interview? He kind of hopes she didn't, but he doesn't have high hopes.

He wasn't expecting her to suddenly show up here, so he doesn't really know what to say except a squeaky "Hi, mum." He feels Kabu's eyes going between Raihan and his mother, but he doesn't really get any words out of his mouth. Should he introduce Kabu to her? Should he start with asking her to sit down with them? Should he ask her to join them at all? Is it too soon for 'Meeting the parents?' Is she going to like Kabu?

He doesn't have time to do anything, since she decides to invite herself to join their table. The Growlithe yaps once in greeting as it trots over to Raihan and licks his hand. She looks between Raihan and Kabu before sighing a and shaking her head at whatever she's thinking.

"Hello, Mr Kabu," she says, holding her hand out to Kabu. "Since that silly son of mine seems to have lost his voice, I'll just introduce myself. My name is Vivian and I'm Raihan's mother. Nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you as well," Kabu shakes her hand with a polite nod and smile.

Growlithe is now sniffing Kabu, probably trying to figure out who he is. It's probably also curious since Kabu likely has some Arcanine-scent on him. Soon it's had enough of him and is now trying to climb up on a chair to take a better look at the Sizzlipede.

"It's so nice to know Raihan has found such a nice and polite man to date," she says, with a look at Raihan. "I always wondered why he insisted on keeping those posters of you in his room, but I guess I got my answer now," she happily tells Kabu, smiling all while Raihan feels he's going to melt into a puddle of embarrassment.

"Muuum!" He totally doesn't whine. He just complains about his mother embarrassing him in front of Kabu. His cheeks feel like they're on fire. "Stop saying embarrassing stuff!" His mother turns her eyes back to him, giving him an annoyed glare.

"Now, I would very much like an explanation as to why I had to hear from the press when my son starts seeing someone," she says in a very serious tone, pointing a finger at his face.

"We only just got together last night!" Raihan defends himself, holding his hands up in surrender.

"And I was still somehow the last person to find out about it!" She jabs her finger in his direction. "The moment I stepped out of my house I was surrounded by reporters wanting to know how I feel about my son's choice in romantic partner!"

That takes all the fight out of him. He's used to the press and the spotlight that comes with being him, but they really shouldn't be dragging his mother into their dramas! He looks over at Kabu, who's now petting the Growlithe sitting on the seat next to him. He's looking right back at Raihan with an understanding look in his eyes. He turns back to his mother, who's still expecting some kind of answer.

"Sorry, mum," he offers as he slumps in his seat. He feels Kabu's hand on his knee, offering some support. The Sizzlipede are feeding bits of Kabu's curry to Growlithe. His mother gives him a look, but then sighs and shakes her head.

"Well, what's done is done. No point getting upset about it now." Sometimes, Raihan is so glad he has a sensible mother. He doesn't know what he would have done if she kept being upset over this. He's also very glad she seems to have no problems with him and Kabu dating. He knows some parents might have a problem with at least the age difference, if not other things as well.

"The press has a way of finding out about things before other people," Kabu points out. "It's what keeps them in business, after all. Wouldn't be news if everyone already knew about it."

"True enough," Vivian agrees with him. "I just wish they had a bit more respect for people's personal lives and private space."

This leads into a discussion about fame, privacy and reporters. Which leads to talks about news and what should or shouldn't be appropriate content. Which leads to discussion about politics and press and other things like that.

Raihan stops listening halfway through, crossing his arms on the table and resting his head on them, just kind of tuning out their words and just listening to their voices. Kabu has a very nice voice, he notices. _It probably has to do with that faint Hoennese accent_, he decides after listening for a bit. He feels sleepy, warm and comfortable after the meal.

He turns his head slightly to look to the side. Kabu is still holding a conversation with Vivian. The two Sizzlipede have dozed off, curled around each other on the table. Growlithe is also falling asleep, now laying on it's seat, head in Kabu's lap, getting scratched behind the ears by said man. Raihan is not jealous of it. Not even a little bit. Though resting his head on Kabu's lap and getting petted sounds like an amazing idea right now. Instead of doing that, he gets up and stretches out a bit, letting out a yawn.

"I'll just go and pay for dinner," he informs the other two. "Be right back." He gives Kabu a quick kiss on the cheek before going.

He wanders of toward the front of the restaurant, taking his time since there's no real hurry. The teenagers are leaving but they recognize him, and he ends up taking a few pictures, signing a few autographs and answering a few questions. Once that's all done, and the meal is payed for, he makes his way back to Kabu and Vivian. The seem to have moved on in their discussion from politics to Pokémon.

"I've been considering getting her a fire stone for evolution," he hears his mother mention. It seems they're talking about her Growlithe. Kabu looks thoughtful for a bit before giving her an answer.

"If you want to keep her as an indoor companion, I wouldn't recommend it," he finally answers. "Arcanine take up a lot of space."

"Well, I suppose that's true," Vivian agrees, now getting up from her seat. Growlithe is instantly at her side. "I'll just be on my way now. Some of this will go bad if I don't get it into a fridge soon."

Since Raihan and Kabu are leaving as well, they decide to walk together outside where they part. Kabu pulls on his coat and grabs the still-sleeping Sizzlipede from the table. They don't really wake up but let Kabu separate them and put them into the inner pockets of his coat.

Once they're outside it's time to say bye to Vivian. She gives Raihan a kiss on the cheek and shakes Kabu's hand again before leaving. At the last moment she turns around to face them.

"Oh, and why don't you boys come over for dinner sometime? I know you're busy with your jobs and all, but surely you have free time sometimes, right?"

Raihan looks briefly at Kabu, who's looking right back at him. It should be okay, right?

"Sure, I think we can work something out sometime," Raihan answers for both of them. "We'll let you know when we have some time left over." She smiles and waves at them before briskly walking away, in the direction of her home. This leaves Raihan and Kabu standing on the street outside the restaurant.

"I didn't mess up anything, right?" He immediately asks Kabu once Vivian is out of sight. "When I told her we'd be over for dinner and stuff?" Kabu seemed to get along fine with Vivian, but that didn't necessarily mean he would want to go over to her place for dinner. What if Kabu is upset that Raihan went and made that kind of promise without talking to him first?

His fears are quickly forgotten, when Kabu tugs him down and into a kiss. Right there, in the middle of the street. Raihan is just starting to melt into the kiss when Kabu pulls away. He almost pulls him into another kiss but manages to contain himself. Just barely. Kissing Kabu is something he could get seriously addicted to. _As if I'm not already_, he thinks immediately afterward.

"Raihan." Kabu gets his attention again. "It's fine," he says, with a small, reassuring smile. "Alright?"

"Yeah, okay." He grabs Kabu and pulls him into a hug. "Thanks."

"You don't need to thank me for that, Raihan." Kabu tells him and gives him one more kiss before squirming away from his embrace. "Let's go. We still need to go to the store before we go back."

"And when we get back?" Raihan teases him with a smile. But takes Kabu's hand and follows his lead to the nearest store. Kabu turns his head and gives him a teasing, and incredibly hot, smirk.

"We'll see." Raihan grins.

"I think I like the sound of that."


End file.
